emergency CT head (mnemonic)

A useful mnemonic which is used to read an emergency head CT scan is:

• Blood Can Be Very Bad

Mnemonic

Using a systematic approach will help to ensure that significant neuropathology will not be missed.

• B: blood
  • look for epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, intraparenchymal hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage and (also) extracranial hemorrhage
• C: cisterns
  • look for the presence of blood, effacement and asymmetry in four key cisterns (perimesencephalic, suprasellar, quadrigeminal and Sylvian cisterns)
• B: brain
  • look for asymmetry or effacement of the sulcal pattern, gray-white matter differentiation (including the insular ribbon sign), structural shifts and abnormal hypodensities (e.g. air, edema, fat) or hyperdensities (e.g. blood, calcification)
• V: ventricles
  • look for intraventricular hemorrhage, ventricular effacement or shift and for hydrocephalus
• B: bone
  • look for skull fractures (especially basal) on bone windows (soft tissue swelling, mastoid air cells and paranasal sinuses fluid in the setting of trauma should raise the possibility of a skull fracture; intracranial air means that the skull and the dura have been violated somewhere)

Related Radiopaedia articles

CT examinations

• imaging in practice
• CT in practice
  • iodinated contrast media
    • agents
      • iophendylate (Pantopaque/Myodil)
      • Lipiodil
      • meglumine iotroxate (Biliscopin)
      • Abrodil
    • vicarious contrast material excretion
    • contrast allergy
      • iodide mumps
    • contrast media extravasation
    • contrast-induced nephropathy
    • iodinated contrast-induced thyrotoxicosis
    • contrast media and breastfeeding
    • saline flush during contrast administration
    • barium sulfate contrast medium
  • myelography
  • composite
    • CT polytrauma (technique)
    • CT polytrauma (approach)
    • CT CAP (chest, abdomen and pelvis)
    • CT NCAP (neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis)
  • head & neck
    • CT head
      • CT head (technique)
      • CT head (an approach)
        • emergency CT head (mnemonic)
        • subdural window
      • CT head (standard report)
    • CT venogram
    • CT stroke protocol
    • CTA circle of Willis
    • CT perfusion
      • CT perfusion in ischemic stroke
    • CT orbits
    • CT sinuses
    • CT temporal bones
    • CT neck
    • CTA carotids
  • chest
    • CT chest
    • CT pulmonary angiogram
    • CTA chest
    • HRCT
      • HRCT: expiratory
      • HRCT: prone
    • cardiac CT
      • cardiac CT (technique)
      • cardiac CT (an approach)
      • cardiac CT (standard report)
  • abdomen & pelvis
    • CT abdomen/pelvis
    • CT abdominal aorta
    • CT cholangiography
    • CT colonography
      • CT colonography reporting and data system
    • CT enteroclysis
    • CT enterography
    • CT gastrography
    • CT KUB
      • CT KUB (technique)
      • CT KUB (an approach)
      • CT KUB (standard report)
    • CT urogram
      • CT urogram (technique)
      • CT urogram (an approach)
      • CT urogram (standard report)
    • CT IVU
    • CT renal 4-phase/3-phase
    • CT renal (lesion characterization)
    • CT renal split bolus
    • CTA mesenteric vessels
    • CT pancreas
    • CT liver
      • liver transplantation protocol
      • three phase
      • four-phase
  • skeletal
    • CT cervical spine
    • CT thoracolumbar spine
    • CT whole spine
    • CT shoulder
    • CT pelvis
    • CT hip
    • CT knee
    • CT ankle
    • CT foot

Siehe auch:

• Hydrocephalus
• Subarachnoidalblutung
• epidurales Hämatom
• subdurales Hämatom
• intraventrikuläre Blutung
• Ödem
• dura
• quadrigeminal
• suprasellar
• intraparenchymal hemorrhage
• Verlust des Inselbandes (insular ribbon sign)

und weiter:

• acute cerebral infarct complicated by history of prothrombin mutation